Press Releases

Today, Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04) sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Following the heinous antisemitic murders of two Israeli Embassy employees last week, one of whom was a native of the Kansas City area, Congressman Alford is respectfully urging the Trump Administration to investigate potential ties between the alleged murderer and designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

Read the full letter here or below:

“Dar Secretaries Rubio and Bessent, and Attorney General Bondi,

“Today I am writing to you with a heavy heart to address the tragic murders of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky. These two young employees of the Israeli Embassy were murdered as they were leaving the Capital Jewish Museum. They had just attended an event focused on finding humanitarian solutions for Gaza. Milgrim and Lischinsky, aged 26 and 28 respectively, were reportedly in a relationship and set to be engaged next week according to Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter. My heart goes out to both families.

“According to eyewitness reports, the alleged murderer, Elias Rodriguez, held a keffiyeh and shouted, “Free Palestine.” Rodriguez had been a member of the Party of Socialism and Liberation (PSL), a revolutionary socialist party that has been a prominent supporter of Hamas and other antisemitic terror groups.  A now removed article in the group’s Liberation paper featured a picture of Rodriguez as well as quotes from him expressing fury at Amazon for the “whitening” of Seattle due to Amazon’s employees. The same article went on to list an “Elias Rodriguez” as one of its activists.

“The Chicago chapter of the PSL held a gala benefiting the Middle Eastern Children’s Alliance (MECA), a California-based nonprofit with reported ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).  The PFLP is a State Department designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and is a Marxist-Leninist group that is the second-largest of the groups forming the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).

“Given these deeply concerning connections, I respectfully urge you to investigate potential foreign funding sources for extremist groups that may incite acts of terrorism on U.S. soil. I am especially alarmed by individuals and organizations operating domestically that maintain ties to designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations and promote antisemitic ideologies.

“I respectfully request your responses to the following questions:

1. Are there any financial ties between the Party of Socialism and Liberation and Foreign Terrorist Organizations?
2. What steps have the State and Treasury Departments taken to monitor foreign funding, especially by FTOs, of individuals or groups organizing anti-Israel and antisemitic events in the United States?
3. What procedures are in place between the State Department and the Department of Justice to monitor non-citizens within the United States who express support for Foreign Terrorist Organizations?

“Tragedies like this must not be allowed to happen. I trust you will treat this matter with the seriousness it demands and look forward to your response.”

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